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Family Support Services The Child Life and Education Department addresses the emotional, social, educational and recreational needs of hospitalized children and adolescents. As recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Child Life programs utilize developmentally appropriate activities to minimize stress and anxiety and to foster positive feelings about health care. Certified Child Life Specialists acquaint children and families with the hospital prior to admission, prepare children for medical tests, procedures and surgeries, provide structured play opportunities to promote normal growth and development and incorporate medical play experiences to enhance the child's understanding of medical events. Certified Teachers of the Hospital School Program ensure the continuation of the child's education. Patient Activity Specialists supervise playroom sessions, coordinate games and activities, special events and visitors for children and teens. They also provide bedside activities for patients who are medically unable to leave their room. Child Life and Education services are available to all inpatient care units, clinics, Ambulatory Surgery Center and the Emergency Department.For more information, contact the department Director, Gloriane Kabat. Family Support Assistants To meet the needs of parents of patients, Family Support Assistants are stationed in various reception areas. They serve as a communication link between families and health care personnel, including chaplains and social workers. Family Support Assistants provide general information for families and visitors and comfort families during stressful situations. The duties include orienting families to the hospital, taking messages for parents and attending to their basic physical needs (showers, laundry, overnight accommodations, etc.). Contact 501-364-1247 for assistance. Interpreter Services ACH recognizes the importance of patients and families being able to communicate with the health care team. When families do not speak or understand English, obtaining health care and following the health care team's recommendations may be problematic and dangerous. ACH Interpreter Services insures clear communication between the health care team and patients who do not speak English well. The Interpreter Services staff speaks fluent English and Spanish and are able to arrange interpreters for various language needs, including assistance for those who are hearing impaired. Interpreters are able to meet with patients and their families during their hospital stay or when they are visiting all clinics on the main campus. Appointment times are preferred but Interpreter Services staff will make every effort to meet with patients, families and staff at any time. During the day Monday through Friday, please contact 501-364-6590 to request an interpreter. For after-hour or weekend needs, please call the Hospital Operator at 501-364-1100 to request an Interpreter. Interpreter Services translates into quality care for all Arkansas' children! Patient/Family Representative The Patient/Family Representative works to increase patient and family understanding of and satisfaction with the care they are receiving. They do this by facilitating patient/family requests, working to provide a centralized feedback system that can observe trends and help hospital leadership recognize areas in need of alternative procedures, supporting effective communication between all members of the hospital team and patients and their families, facilitating resolution of patient and family concerns. To contact a Patient/Family Representative, please call 501-364-1198.Pastoral Care The primary mission of Pastoral Care services is to provide for the spiritual and religious needs of patients and families. Chaplains attempt to make sure every patient/family is aware of the availability of spiritual support. Devotional services are offered every day in the hospital chapel at 9:30 a.m. Chaplains will also make arrangements to accommodate patient/family requests for specialized ministries by calling a minister of like faith, a Catholic priest, Jewish rabbi, Muslim imam, etc. Chaplains respond to patient deaths (or when death is imminent), traumas, any other crisis or event where spiritual support may be needed. Bereavement support and follow-up is provided by the department. Chaplains are also available as a resource to hospital staff and employees. A chaplain is either in the hospital or on-call 24 hours a day.The Social Work Department provides a number of services to hospitalized and/or clinic patients and families. All Social Workers at ACH are state licensed at the Master's level and are specially trained clinicians in the medical Social Work field. These trained professionals recognize the impact of illness on patients and families and are prepared to provide supportive counseling to assist families in coping with the unpredictability of illness. Our Social Workers are able to link families with community resources for a number of supportive services. Please contact the Social Work department for any of the following needs: counseling; crisis intervention or long term support; assistance to medical staff to help families understand and cooperate with medical treatment; evaluation, referral and treatment of patients who are victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect; referrals to appropriate resources and preparing families for taking their child home. Social workers are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. The department also provides Social Work staff in the evenings and weekends for emergencies and crisis situations. The main telephone number for the Social Work office is 501-364-1406. 
Arkansas Children's Hospital, 800 Marshall
St., Little Rock, AR 72202-3591, (501) 364-1100 or TDD (501) 364-1184
ACH is a tobacco free campus.
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